I'm writing this article on March 8^th, 2017 also known as International Women's Day. I am proud to be a woman for so many different reasons. We are strong, intelligent, compassionate, and much more. One of the words I mentioned above was strong, women are strong; I have been raised in a family surrounded by strong women, my mom, grandma, aunts, etc. They have all taught me what it means to be a lady, and a tough one at that. I've also been raised to not be a victim, to not categorize myself as less than or not equal to. In today's society however, women are claiming to be strong and powerful, yet the topic that is brought up the most is how women are victims. They claim to be victims of being over looked and victims of not being paid properly. I'm here to say I do not consider myself a victim nor do I ever plan to be.

You see, somehow the topic of feminism has been moved to what women don't have and that women are weak in the eyes of men. Why is that? I know so many women who have worked their butts off and get to where they want to be. Such as my personal hero's Amal Clooney, Margaret Thatcher, and Sheryl Sandberg. I then got the question that inspired me to write this article. Are women being over looked or turned down because they have this new victimized mentality? If they didn't think about all the negatives and this stereotypical idea they have in their heads now about men over looking them, would this help them go farther. Maybe, if this were the current mentality of women and the feminist movement, we would see changes and progress.

I plan to always be the women who is not victimized but empowered. The women who works hard and proves she to be an equal. I don't want to be a victim, what is the power in that? I know if I have the right mindset, I can do anything. As that cliché quote goes, it's mind over matter. I'm a feminist and I'm a women but I'm not a victim. I refuse to believe it because I know what I'm capable of and I believe others will too. I think it's time to change the outlook on this topic to not be the victim but the victor. With that idea in mind, I'm sure us women can do anything!

I would like to end this article with a quote my mom has always loved and told me….

~ Here is to strong women..

May we know them.

May we be them.

May we raise them. ~